3-035-582 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Grotto of Sarrazine near Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne, about 1864. Additional Info: Through a dynamic composition and radical painting technique, Gustave Courbet emphasized the specific qualities of this primordial cave in his native region of the Jura Mountains in eastern France. Earthy hues and textures swirl around a tunnel-like entrance, drawing attention to the clear blue stream running through it. Two large boulders stand before the vortex, several feet from a wall hugged by delicate scaffolding.